Thomas West (D-Canton) was officially sworn in to the Ohio House of Representatives Tuesday as state representative for the 49th House District. West, the first African American elected from Stark County as a state legislator, will serve the citizens in Canton, Canton Township, Pike Township, Bethlehem Township, the majority of Massillon, and small parts of southern Plain Township.

“I am eager to lend my experience and perspective to the debates at the Statehouse on how we can help best position Ohio’s families and communities for the future,” said West, “My focus will be on meeting the needs of everyday working families and the communities they call home.”

West, a licensed social worker, served as a Canton city councilman for over 10 years prior to his November election to the Statehouse. Married for 15 years and the father of two children, West also owns Pioneer with Vision Consultants. West announced his Statehouse office staffing soon after being sworn in, hiring Steven Hix a Denison University graduate with work experience on campaigns and in the Office of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown.

“I want people to know I am accessible and ready to work on their behalf in Columbus,” added West. “Whether it’s cutting through red tape, authoring legislation or connecting community members to the state, my office is open and ready to help.”

The Canton lawmaker holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work administration from the University of Akron and also studied business administration at the University of Mount Union.

State Reps. Thomas West (D-Canton) and Dan Ramos (D-Lorain) today announced the introduction of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 18, which urges Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the president to uphold existing net neutrality rules. Net Neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) must treat all data equally. Under net neutrality, no user, platform or website can be accessed faster or slower than another.